U.S. patent number 7,925,746 [Application Number 12/246,074] was granted by the patent office on 2011-04-12 for systems and methods for a self-contained, cooled server rack.
This patent grant is currently assigned to United Services Automobile Association (USAA). Invention is credited to Brandon Wayne Melton.
United States Patent |
7,925,746 |
Melton |
April 12, 2011 |
Systems and methods for a self-contained, cooled server rack
Abstract
A refrigerated server rack that may be used in a server room to
cool computing equipment. The refrigerated server rack may contain
a cooling unit or include a cooling inlet to receive chilled air to
cool the computing equipment within the server rack. The self
contained server rack has a modular design such that it may be
easily integrated into mounting point within a data center. As the
requirements of the data center change, server racks may be added
or removed to provide scalability. As the racks are added or
removed, a monitoring application discovers the server racks and
equipment contained therein. The server rack and equipment may then
be configured to operate within the data center computing
infrastructure. Because only the interior of the self-contained
server rack is cooled to maintain a proper operating environment
for the computing equipment, there is no need to cool entirety of
the data center.
Inventors: |
Melton; Brandon Wayne (San
Antonio, TX) |
Assignee: |
United Services Automobile
Association (USAA) (San Antonio, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
43837219 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/246,074 |
Filed: |
October 6, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/224;
713/300 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K
7/20836 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
15/16 (20060101); G06F 15/173 (20060101); G06F
15/177 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;709/217-228 ;713/300
;705/8 ;714/4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Patel; Haresh N
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brooks, Cameron & Huebsch,
PLLC
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A method for monitoring a self-contained server rack system,
comprising: discovering, by at least one hardware processor, the
self-contained server rack system as being connected within a data
center; discovering, by at least one hardware processor, equipment
within the self-contained server rack system; configuring, by at
least one hardware processor, the self-contained server rack
system; configuring, by at least one hardware processor, the
equipment within the self-contained server rack system; and
monitoring, by at least one hardware processor, the self-contained
server rack system and equipment for changes in operational status;
configuring, by at least one hardware processor, a cooling
apparatus associated with the self-contained server rack system to
maintain the equipment with a predetermined temperature range,
wherein the cooling apparatus vents air as exhaust through an
outlet on the self-contained server rack system, the outlet
connected to a manifold; and discovering the equipment in response
to connecting the self-contained server rack system to a mounting
point in the data center, the mounting point including a connector
providing external connections to the equipment within the
self-contained server rack.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling apparatus is integral
with the self-contained server rack system.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying an
administrative application of the changes in operational
status.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing an
indication of the operational status on an indicator panel provided
on the self-contained server rack system.
5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising
computer-readable instructions executed by a processor for
monitoring a self-contained server rack system, comprising:
discovering the self-contained server rack system as being
connected within a data center; discovering equipment within the
self-contained server rack system; configuring the self-contained
server rack system; configuring the equipment within the
self-contained server rack system; monitoring the self-contained
server rack system and equipment for changes in operational status;
configuring a cooling apparatus associated with the self-contained
server rack system to maintain the equipment with a predetermined
temperature range, wherein the cooling apparatus vents air as
exhaust through an outlet on the self-contained server rack system,
the outlet connected to a manifold; and discovering the equipment
in response to connecting the self-contained server rack system to
a mounting point in the data center, the mounting point including a
connector providing external connections to the equipment within
the self-contained server rack.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the cooling
apparatus is integral with the self-contained server rack
system.
7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising
instructions for notifying an administrative application of the
changes in operational status.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising
instructions for providing an indication of the operational status
on an indicator panel provided on the self-contained server rack
system.
9. A system for monitoring a self-contained server rack system
using a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with
computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions
comprising instructions stored thereon that are executed by a
processor, the system comprising: at least one subsystem for
discovering the self-contained server rack system as being
connected within a data center; at least one subsystem for
discovering equipment within the self-contained server rack system;
at least one subsystem for configuring the self-contained server
rack system; at least one subsystem for configuring the equipment
within the self-contained server rack system; and at least one
subsystem for monitoring the self-contained server rack system and
equipment for changes in operational status; at least one subsystem
for configuring a cooling apparatus associated with the
self-contained server rack system to maintain the equipment with a
predetermined temperature range, wherein the cooling apparatus
vents air as exhaust through an outlet on the self-contained server
rack system, the outlet connected to a manifold; and at least one
subsystem for discovering the equipment in response to connecting
the self-contained server rack system to a mounting point in the
data center, the mounting point including a connector providing
external connections to the equipment within the self-contained
server rack.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the cooling apparatus is
integral with the self-contained server rack system.
11. The system of claim 9, further at least one subsystem for
comprising notifying an administrative application of the changes
in operational status.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising at least one
subsystem for providing an indication of the operational status on
an indicator panel provided on the self-contained server rack
system.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES
The subject matter described in this application is related to
subject matter disclosed in the following commonly assigned
applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12,246,081, now
abandoned, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12,246,089 now
abandoned, each filed on even date, and entitled "Systems and
Methods for a Self-Contained, Cooled Server Rack."
BACKGROUND
The rise in demand for IT business support and the resulting
increase in density of IT equipment are stretching data center
power and cooling resources to the breaking point. Recently, energy
costs and the inability of data center infrastructures to
accommodate new high-density computing platforms have become
problems for data centers. Higher rack densities have caused power
and cooling costs to surpass the costs of the IT equipment and the
facility space.
The increase in server density is being driven by the need to
maximize the use of data center floor space and to extend the life
of data centers. As a result, rack power density (kW/rack) has
grown more than five times over the past ten years. The growth in
rack power density and the associated heat load are outpacing
conventional thermal management techniques, which are typically
designed for previous generations of IT equipment.
To lower total cost of ownership (TCO), data centers are struggling
to adopt a paradigm that focuses on maximizing the energy
efficiency of components, systems, and the infrastructure while
controlling energy usage. Because the demand for IT business
support will continue to increase, an organization's best strategy
to manage growth is to improve power and cooling infrastructure
efficiency.
SUMMARY
A self-contained server rack that may be used in a server room or
data center to cool computing equipment within the server rack. The
server rack may include an integrated cooling unit or a cooling
inlet to receive chilled air to cool computing equipment within the
server rack. The self-contained server rack has a modular design
such that it may be easily integrated into mounting point within a
data center. As the requirements of the data center change, server
racks may be added or removed to provide scalability. As the racks
are added or removed, a monitoring application discovers the server
racks and equipment contained therein. The server rack and
equipment may then be configured to operate within the data center
computing infrastructure. Because only the interior of the
self-contained server rack is cooled to maintain a proper operating
environment for the computing equipment, there is no need to cool
entirety of the data center.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a
simplified form that are further described in the detailed
description section. This summary is not intended to identify key
features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor
is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject
matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of preferred embodiments, is better understood when
read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of
illustration, there is shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments;
however, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific
methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of an example server
rack;
FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the example server rack;
FIG. 3 illustrates a rear perspective view of the example server
rack;
FIG. 4 illustrates a rear perspective view of another example
server rack;
FIG. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of an example data
center mounting point;
FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the example server rack
mounted to the data center mounting point; and
FIG. 7 illustrates an example operational flow of a process to
monitor the server rack and components therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure describes a self-contained server rack that
may be used in a server room to cool computing equipment. As will
be described, the rack may contain a cooling unit or a cooling
inlet to produce or receive chilled air to cool computing equipment
within the server rack. The self-contained server rack may have a
modular design such that it may be easily incorporated into a data
center and to provide scalability. Because only the interior of the
self-contained server rack needs to be cooled to prevent the
computing equipment from overheating, this eliminates the need to
cool entirety of the data center.
FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of an example server
rack 100, and FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the server rack
100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the server rack 100 is formed
generally as a self-contained rectangular enclosure having upper
and lower walls, sidewalls, and a rear wall. One or more computing
devices 106, 108, 110 and 112 may be mounted on racks 105, 107, 109
and 111, respectively, within the server rack 100. The computing
devices 106, 108, 110 and 112 may be, e.g., blade servers, network
equipment, power equipment, communications equipment, etc.
An integral cooling unit 102 may provide chilled air 116 or other
fluid that may be circulated within the server rack 100 to cool the
computing devices 106, 108, 110 and 112 contained therein. The
chilled air 116 may be cooled by cooling unit 102 to a temperature
that maintains the computing devices 106, 108, 110 and 112 at a
safe internal operating temperature. In some implementations, the
cooling unit 102 may contain an optimally sized air conditioner for
the anticipated heat load contained within the server rack 100. For
example, the anticipated heat load may be calculated based on the
power consumption of devices mounted within the server rack
100.
As the chilled air 116 removes heat from the computing devices 106,
108, 110 and 112, the chilled air 116 warms due to the heat
transfer and rises to the top of the server rack 100. The warmed
air may be removed from the server rack 100 as exhaust 120 through
an outlet 118. The outlet 118 may be connected to a manifold
provided within a data center for venting the warmed air.
Electrical and network connections to the computing devices 106,
108, 110 and 112 may be made through a connector block 104. For
example, connections such as power, Ethernet, fiber optic
connections, coaxial, etc. may be made to the connector block 104
using cables 114. In some implementations, the connector block 104
may be a modular system, such that individual connections may be
tailored to the connection requirements of the computing devices
106, 108, 110 and 112. In some implementations, the connector block
104 may include a standardized set of connectors to accommodate
certain types of computing devices. For example, the connector
block 104 may include a row of RJ45 sockets and a row of AC sockets
to accommodate servers as the computing devices 106, 108, 110 and
112.
A door 113 may be provided to close the server rack 100. The door
113 may provide a seal along the front of the server rack 100 to
create a closed system whereby the removal of heat generated by the
computing devices 106, 108, 110 and 112 is accomplished through the
circulation of the chilled air 116 to the exhaust 120.
An indicator panel 103 may be provided on the door 113 or other
location to provide an indication of the operational status of the
server rack 100, the cooling unit 102, and/or the computing devices
106, 108, 110 and 112. For example, the indicator panel 103 may
indicate that the door 113 is ajar, that the cooling unit 102 has
malfunctioned, that one of the computing devices 106, 108, 110 or
112 has crashed, or that everything is operating within normal
parameters, etc. such that IT support technician may easily
identify problems with or in the server rack 100.
Although FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate four computing devices 106, 108,
110 and 112, any number of computing devices may be installed
within the server rack 100 as space permits. Further, the cables
114 may be provided to make any type of connection to the connector
block 104 as required by the computing devices 106, 108, 110 and
112. Thus, the cables 114 may be an Ethernet cable, power cord,
etc.
FIG. 3 illustrates a rear perspective view of the server rack 100.
The connector block 104 extends through the rear wall of the server
rack 100 to enable external connections to be made to the computing
devices 106, 108, 110 and 112. Thus, the connector block 104 may
serve as the external interface to the computing devices 106, 108,
110 and 112 where all connections are made. As will be described
with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the connector block 104 is adapted
to mate with a respective connector block within a floor module or
mounting point in the data center to provide connections between a
computing infrastructure and the computing devices 106, 108, 110
and 112.
FIG. 4 illustrates a rear perspective view of another example
server rack 150. The server rack 150 provides an inlet to receive a
cooling duct 152 rather than having an integral cooling unit. The
cooling duct 152 may provide chilled air from a cooling unit within
the data center or from a cooling unit 102 on an adjacent or nearby
server rack 100. Similar to the server rack 100, the connector
block 104 extends through the rear wall of the self-contained
server rack 150 to enable connections to be made to the computing
devices 106, 108, 110 and 112. FIG. 4 also illustrates the server
rack 150 having the outlet 118 at floor level. The outlet 118 may
be connected to a manifold provided within a mounting point or
floor module for venting the warmed air as exhaust 120. In some
implementations, the server rack 100 may include the floor level
outlet 118.
FIG. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of an example floor
mounting point 126, and FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of
the example server rack 100/150 coupled to the floor mounting point
126. The floor mounting point 126 may include one or more connector
blocks 128 and 130. The connector blocks 128 and 130 are designed
to be a mirror image of the connector block 104 provided on the
server rack 100/150 and is adapted to mate with the connector block
104 to provide power, network, etc. connections between the
computing equipment 106, 108, 110 and 112 and the computing
infrastructure within the data center.
In implementations where the outlet 118 is provided at floor level,
an exhaust inlet 132 may be provided within the floor mounting
point 126 to receive the outlet 118.
As shown in FIG. 6, the server rack 100/150 may be slid into place
to mate with the floor mounting point 126. Multiple floor mounting
points 126 may be provided in the data center to accept multiple
self-contained server racks 100/150. As the data center's needs and
requirements grow, additional self-contained server racks 100/150
and floor mounting points 126 may be installed within the data
center to accommodate the needs of the data center. If the data
center's needs are reduced, the server racks 100/150 and floor
mounting points 126 may be removed. Thus, in accordance with the
implementations described above, the cooling needs of computing
equipment within the data center may be satisfied by cooling the
space only within the server rack 100/150, eliminating the need to
cool the entire data center. In addition, the cooling requirements
can be scaled proportionally to the amount of computing equipment
needed to meet the data center's computing requirements.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example operational flow of a process 200 to
monitor the server rack 100/150 and components therein. In some
implementations, the process 200 may be executed by a general
purpose computer running a monitoring application within the data
center. The process 200 may be part of an administrative
application suite running on the general purpose computer to
monitor the health and status of the self-contained server racks
within the data center, as well as the computing equipment and
devices contained within a self-contained server racks.
At 202, self-contained server rack is coupled to the mounting
point. For example as shown in the FIG. 6, server rack 100/150 may
be positioned in place such that the connector block 104 mates with
the connector block 128. At 204, equipment is discovered by the
network. For example, the server rack 100/150 and the computing
devices 106, 108, 110 and 112 may be discovered by the data center
and/or the computing infrastructure using network protocols such as
SLP (service location protocol), Jini, UPnP (Universal plug and
play), salutation, SDP (service discovery protocol), etc.
At 206, self-contained server rack and/or computing devices are
configured. For example, the computing devices 106, 108, 110 or 112
may be authenticated and assigned an IP address from a DHCP server,
and configured such that they are able to communicate with the
computing infrastructure to which the data center is connected.
Optionally or additionally, the server rack 100/150 may be
configured such that it may be monitored by the monitoring
application to determine the health and status of the
self-contained server rack and the components therein. At 208, the
self-contained server rack and/or computing devices are operational
within a computing infrastructure.
At 210, the equipment and self-contained server rack are monitored.
At 212, it is determined if a change occurred in the status of the
server rack 100/150, the computing devices 106, 108, 110 or 112, or
the cooling unit 102. If no change has occurred then the process
returns to 210 to continue monitoring. However, if a change is that
is has occurred at 212, then at 214, networking and/or an
administrative application may be notified of the change. If at
216, it is determined that a new server rack 100/150 or new
computing devices have caused the change, then the process returns
to 206 where the new equipment is configured. If at 216, if the
change in status was the result of some other cause, an alarm may
be trigger to notify IT personnel of the change in status. The
process returns to 210 to continue monitoring the equipment and
server rack.
It should be understood that the various techniques described
herein may be implemented in connection with hardware or software
or, where appropriate, with a combination of both. Thus, the
methods and apparatus of the presently disclosed subject matter, or
certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program
code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as
floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other
machine-readable storage medium wherein, when the program code is
loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the
machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the presently disclosed
subject matter. In the case of program code execution on
programmable computers, the computing device generally includes a
processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including
volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least
one input device, and at least one output device. One or more
programs may implement or utilize the processes described in
connection with the presently disclosed subject matter, e.g.,
through the use of an API, reusable controls, or the like. Such
programs are preferably implemented in a high level procedural or
object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer
system. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or
machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a
compiled or interpreted language, and combined with hardware
implementations.
Although example embodiments may refer to utilizing aspects of the
presently disclosed subject matter in the context of one or more
stand-alone computer systems, the subject matter is not so limited,
but rather may be implemented in connection with any computing
environment, such as a network or distributed computing
environment. Still further, aspects of the presently disclosed
subject matter may be implemented in or across a plurality of
processing chips or devices, and storage may similarly be effected
across a plurality of devices. Such devices might include personal
computers, network servers, and handheld devices, for example.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific
to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be
understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims
is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts
described previously. Rather, the specific features and acts
described previously are disclosed as example forms of implementing
the claims.
* * * * *